OpenAI is in advanced talks with Amazon to raise at least $10 billion and adopt the tech giant’s AI chips

17 December 2025

OpenAI, the developer behind the groundbreaking ChatGPT language model, is reportedly in early and fluid discussions with Amazon.com Inc. about a potential investment of at least $10 billion from the online retail and cloud computing giant. Sources familiar with the matter say the talks include not only a capital infusion but also the possibility of OpenAI adopting Amazon’s Trainium artificial intelligence processors for use in training and running its large language models. This emerging alliance could mark a significant shift in the artificial intelligence landscape, as OpenAI seeks to diversify its partnerships and bolster its computing infrastructure while Amazon works to challenge established rivals in the AI chip market.

The discussions, first reported by The Information and confirmed by multiple outlets, are still at an early stage and subject to change, but they illustrate the escalating stakes in the AI industry as developers struggle to balance massive infrastructure costs with ambitious growth plans. OpenAI has transformed over the past few years from a nonprofit research lab into a public benefit corporation capable of attracting large-scale investment and pursuing commercial opportunities. The company has been exploring multiple avenues to finance its rapid expansion and computational needs, including a potential initial public offering that could value it at as much as $1 trillion.

A deal with Amazon would represent a deepening of ties between two of the most influential players in technology. OpenAI currently has a longstanding relationship with Microsoft, which owns roughly 27 percent of the company and provides significant cloud computing resources through its Azure platform. That partnership was revised in 2025 to allow OpenAI greater freedom to work with other cloud providers and pursue a broader set of investors and collaborators. In the wake of that change, OpenAI has moved to work with additional partners, including Google’s cloud unit and Oracle, in order to meet its substantial compute needs. The company’s infrastructure demands are massive, with plans to spend hundreds of billions on data-center capacity and AI model development in the coming years.

The proposed Amazon investment would likely include provisions for OpenAI to utilize Amazon’s custom AI chips, known as Trainium processors, which are designed to perform large-scale AI training and inference tasks at competitive cost and scale. These chips are part of Amazon Web Services’ broader strategy to offer alternatives to Nvidia’s dominant AI silicon products, which currently power a large share of data-center AI workloads. AWS has already made significant inroads with Anthropic, another major AI startup, and the potential addition of OpenAI as a long-term customer could enhance the appeal of Amazon’s hardware offerings.

For OpenAI, the appeal of incorporating Trainium chips goes beyond simple cost considerations. By broadening its hardware partners, the company can reduce reliance on a single supplier and better manage the financial and operational risks associated with AI training at scale. Nvidia’s high-performance GPUs have industry acclaim, but their cost and limited availability have prompted major AI developers to pursue alternatives and multi-vendor strategies. OpenAI’s existing compute agreements include usage of Nvidia GPUs through AWS and other providers, as well as experiments with Google’s TPU processors and even custom silicon arrangements involving vendors like AMD and Broadcom. The addition of Trainium would further diversify that hardware mix and support the company’s long-term AI model ambitions.

From Amazon’s perspective, a substantial investment in OpenAI would reinforce the company’s relevance in AI at a time when it faces intense competition from both Microsoft and Google. AWS remains a leading cloud provider, but its influence in generative AI and advanced model training is comparatively less established. Securing a major partnership with OpenAI could confirm AWS as a central hub for cutting-edge AI infrastructure and help it attract other developers seeking scalable, cost-effective computing solutions. AWS has already committed billions to chip-based infrastructure and data-center expansion, including large Project Rainier facilities dedicated to AI workloads, and greater adoption of Trainium chips could further justify those investments.

The reported discussions also coincide with Amazon’s broader internal restructuring of its AI teams and its efforts to accelerate innovation in machine learning, cloud computing and related technologies. The company recently appointed new leadership to oversee its AI and advanced computing divisions, aiming to unify efforts around model development, semiconductor design and next-generation computing platforms. These moves suggest that Amazon is positioning itself for deeper partnerships with AI developers while competing for talent and market share against rivals that have built strong ecosystems around their own hardware and cloud services.

Investors and industry watchers are closely monitoring the talks between OpenAI and Amazon because of the implications such a deal could have for the broader AI market. Shares of cloud and chip makers have reacted to news of shifting investment flows and potential partnerships, with some analysts drawing attention to the capital intensity of AI infrastructure and the deep pockets required to sustain large-scale model training and deployment. The broader narrative involving chip suppliers, cloud providers and AI developers encompasses a complex web of relationships that could redefine competitive dynamics in the years ahead.

Despite the enthusiasm around the possibility of a significant Amazon investment, the conversations remain preliminary and confidential, and neither company has publicly confirmed terms. Sources emphasize that the talks could evolve in many directions, including adjustments to investment size or specific commercial arrangements. If the deal moves forward, it may lay the groundwork for a wider fundraising round involving other major technology firms and institutional investors, helping OpenAI secure the financial and computational resources necessary to sustain its rapid pace of innovation.

For now, the emerging partnership between OpenAI and Amazon highlights the shifting alliances and strategic bets shaping the future of artificial intelligence. As AI technology becomes increasingly central to the operations of major corporations and the expectations of global markets, the ability to secure capital, infrastructure and cutting-edge hardware will be essential to maintaining a competitive edge. The discussions between OpenAI and Amazon illustrate how these forces are converging in high-stakes negotiations that may ultimately influence the structure of the AI industry for years to come.